2014 Hyundai Elantra Gt Base on 2040-cars

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Recharge Wrap-up: Chevy Volt's new, improved powertrain; Inabikari wants to build Tesla Model X fighter

We knew the 2016 Chevrolet Volt's new powertrain would provide more range, but we didn't know how much. According to GM's Executive Director Larry Nitz, it is about 12 percent more, overall. "I can't think of a powertrain we've re-engineered more extensively within a five-year period than this one," he said. The battery, electric drive system and gasoline generator have all been reworked to allow for an overall driving range of up to 425 miles, with electric range speculated to reach 42 miles or more. The new Volt will also benefit from 20 percent quicker low-end acceleration, weight reductions and improvements in NVH. Read more at Hybrid Cars and at the SAE website. Hyundai's FCEV research and development boss, Dr. Sae-Hoon Kim, is optimistic about the future of hydrogen mobility in Japan. With the Tucson Fuel Cell already in production ahead of Toyota's FCV, Hyundai has a foothold in the hydrogen car scene. Kim believes that since the Fukushima disaster, Japan's attitudes toward energy make it friendly to a growing hydrogen economy. He also says that hydrogen won't be limited to Hyundai, with Kia getting all the battery EVs. "Both types are for both companies," Kim says. "For the moment, volumes are small and it is not wise to have Hyundai and Kia competing." Read more at Just Auto. The Latvian/German startup Inabikari is using crowdfunding to build an electric crossover for Europe. The Rev.01 EV hopes to compete with Tesla's upcoming Model X with a range of over 400 miles and a five-second 0-60 time. The group currently is trying to raise initial funds through an Indiegogo campaign, with hopes of more investment in the future and sales beginning in 2017. See the video below, and read more at Hybrid Cars and at the Inabikari website. Fuel economy and emissions regulations could lead to some interesting design changes to automobiles. The World Light Duty Test Procedure, set to replace the New European Driving Cycle in 2017, will push automakers to find new ways to reduce drag on their vehicles. For better aerodynamics, we could see traditional side-view mirrors replaced by cameras that display what they see on screens inside the vehicle. Another likely change will be the introduction of smaller, narrower wheels. Improving the average drag coefficient from 0.32 to 0.20 could reduce CO2 emissions by as much as 20 percent. Read more at Automotive News Europe.

Hyundai Ioniq EV coming with 110-mile range in US

We've known for a while that the new Hyundai Ioniq line of vehicles will come in three variants: hybrid, plug-in hybrid, and battery electric. As we get ready for more information on the trio at the New York Auto Show this week, we've learned that t he EV, which is slated to go on sale in South Korea in June and in the US towards the end of the year, will have a 28-kilowatt-hour battery pack that's similar to the Kia Soul EV. The Sould EV has a single-charge range of 93 miles, but the Ioniq EV will be able to go as far as 110 miles on one charge, In discussion with Hyundai's Kim Choong, Automotive News learned that despite earlier talk of a 155-mile range for the EV, the 110-mile figure is what the Ioniq will get on the US EPA test cycle, Hyundai spokesman Jim Trainor confirmed in an e-mail to AutoblogGreen on Monday. The longer range figure is what the Ioniq EV will be rated at on the more lenient European cycle. Hyundai revealed its "three-pronged" plan for the Ioniq at the Geneva Motor Show earlier this month. We now know that the EV model will have paddle shifters so the driver can control the level of friction in the car's regenerative brake. Additionally, the EV, as with the hybrid and plug-in hybrid, will have an "eco-routing" navigation system that to make best use of either the range on the EV or the fuel economy on the hybrids. The Ioniq Hybrid debuted in South Korea in January. That variant has already received some attention because Hyundai's Lee Ki-Sang told Automotive News that the hybrid itself will have "standard" and "eco" variants, and that the "eco" version will have a combined fuel-economy rating of 56 miles per gallon, putting it well ahead of the Toyota Prius's fuel economy. That is, if these numbers are all on the same test cycle. Related Video: Featured Gallery 2017 Hyundai Ioniq Electric: Geneva 2016 View 14 Photos News Source: Automotive News-sub.req. via Green Car ReportsImage Credit: Drew Phillips Green Hyundai Electric Hybrid ioniq

Hyundai tops Toyota in annual CarMD Vehicle Health Index

CarMD has released its third annual Vehicle Health Index, which for the 2013 tracked the frequency and cost of repairs for "check engine" problems of 119-million vehicles built between the 2003 and 2013 model years. For the first two years of the index, Toyota ranked at the top of the list, but this year's results see Hyundai moved to number one, pushing Toyota down a spot.
The Korean automaker's rise to the top has been "fueled by its low repair frequency," according to CarMD. Toyota is second to Hyundai in lowest repair frequency, but Toyotas also have the highest average cost of repair. (Interestingly, General Motors vehicles have the lowest average.) Both Toyota's and Hyundai's manufacturer "health" ratings suffered this year, but Toyota took a bigger hit, which also is what helped Hyundai achieve the top ranking.
While Hyundai is the top manufacturer in the index, the 2012 Toyota Camry is the top vehicle. The best-ranking Hyundai was the 2010 Elantra (behind three Nissan models and four Toyotas), which took the number eight spot. Hyundai has six other vehicles in the top 100.